Echo and Elle
by Demonie0603
Summary: This is the first Supernatural fic I've written so I hope I do our boys justice. It's a hunt fic set after the season one finale (I miss our season 1 brothers) and it's also a Wincest fic. If you're not into that I get it, but if you are let me know if you like it, and as always comments keep me going! I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The Lore

The frozen winter trees gleamed in the fading sunlight as an icy wind wisped through the forest. There was an eerie silence that day, for all the animals knew what was on its way. Something wicked this way comes, they all think to themselves, and scatter in any direction to get away. Even the wolves fear the little girls that roam these woods, for they would give him a fate worse than death. Little Echo and Elle Lockwood are doomed to roam the forest until they find a certain something special, and they'll do whatever it takes to get it.

You see, when the twins were alive they were very happy children. They lived in a cozy blue house at the edge of the forest with their mother and father, and life was pretty peaceful until the incident. One day, when the girls had traveled farther into the woods than they should have, they decided to play a game of hide and seek. Little Elle decided that she would be the seeker and Echo set off in search of a proper hiding place. When Elle opened her eyes to look for her sister, she could sense something wasn't right.

A cold breeze forced her long blonde hair in front of her face. She brushed it away and ran off to search for Echo. She shouted and shouted for her, but no answer came. Suddenly a loud series of screams pierced the winter air, and Elle broke into a sprint. She frantically searched for her sister, calling her name and looking all around when suddenly she tripped over something and fell to the ground. At first she was left in a daze, and she struggled to listen to her surroundings. There was wind, and the sound of running water. But the sound that really grabbed her attention was the whimpering beside her.

She sat up and looked down at poor little Echo lying in the snow. She looked fine except for the fact that her eyes were missing. It was as if she never had them in the first place. Black holes replaced the girls' lovely green orbs, and Elle's mouth fell open in a silent scream. There were streaks of blood running down the little girl's cheeks, and she kept muttering something Elle couldn't hear. Swallowing her fear Elle quickly helped her sister up, and led her away from that place. Mum and Dad would be furious if they came back without Echo's eyes, the little girl thought to herself, but she had to get them home before dark.

As the sun began to fade Elle quickly led her sister towards the river, and they began walking upstream. They're Dad told them if they ever got lost in the woods to walk along the river. It was difficult for Elle to watch her own footing while trying to guide her sister, and then tragedy struck. Poor blinded Echo slipped on a patch of ice and fell into the river, dragging Elle along with her. The police found the girls downstream about a week later, but the truth is that the girls never really left the forest. The legend says that the little Lockwood twins still roam the forest searching for Echo's eyes; but if they find you, they'll take yours instead.


	2. Chapter 2

The first five minutes

"Come on Molly, it's just a dumb story!"

They always say that don't they? It's just a story. It's only a legend. Monsters aren't real. The funny thing is they always say it right before the thing they don't believe in kills them horribly. Molly and her boyfriend Jake stood at the edge of the forest, armed with two flashlights and a camera. How typical, the scared girlfriend and the cocky "tough guy" boyfriend try to catch the town legend on film. It had "horror flick" written all over it. Apparently Molly thought the same thing because she wouldn't budge. She could practically feel the evil hiding behind every tree. She tried to steady her voice while she replied.

"Jake this was a bad idea, let's just go home."

But of course they won't go home. This is the first five minutes of a Supernatural episode after all. Either one or both of them are going to die tonight; it's just a shame Molly couldn't realize that. As if on cue Jake walked over and put his arm around her. He pulled her close and said in a confident tone,

"Babe, you know I would never let anything happen to you. I wouldn't do this if I thought it was dangerous. Come on, it'll be fun I promise."

Ah the inevitable promise of safety. Sure to win over any gullible, frightened girlfriend. Sure to get them killed is more like it. Again, as if on cue, Molly relaxed her shoulders and nodded to Jake in approval. They cautiously walked into the forest in search of the legendary Lockwood girls. Everyone in town had heard the legend at least once from their parents or grandparents, and wanted to see if they could capture the girls on camera. Of course they knew ghosts weren't real; Molly was doing this to impress Jake, and Jake was doing this to create the illusion of bravery and possibly "get some" later on.

They walked into the woods hand in hand, and braced themselves for the worst. Of course "the worst" to these innocent fools was a wolf, but they barely came to this part of town. Autumn leaves crunched beneath their feet, and an icy breeze wrapped around them. Molly shivered and moved closer to Jake.

"Molly if you stand that close I'm going to-!" Before he could get the words out Jakes prediction came true, and they both tumbled to the ground. Molly hit her head on the frozen earth, and in her daze she listened to her surroundings. The wind in the trees, and running water filled her ears. Was there a river around here? She honestly couldn't remember. She sat up and looked over to where Jake fell and saw…nothing. Jake was gone, and Molly was sitting alone in the pitch black forest. She couldn't hear the water running over the beating of her heart.

"Jake!" She shouted into the wind. No reply.

"Jake this isn't funny!" Still no reply. Of course Molly would think Jake was playing a trick on her. That he would pop out any second and scare her, and they would go home and pretend this never happened. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

What if something happened to him? The frightened teen thought to herself. As if to prove her fears right, she heard a blood curdling scream come from the left. All the hairs on her body stood up, a shiver ran down her spine, and her heart nearly stopped.

"Jake!" She yelled and started sprinting towards the source of the scream. Another shriek pierced the night air, and Molly sprinted faster. Branches whipped at her shoulders as she ran, and she nearly tripped over the rocks and roots beneath her feet. All of a sudden the screams stopped and so did she. It was dead silent until Molly heard rustling come from the right. She flashed her light into the forest and saw something move. She felt her heart sink as someone walked towards her. It wasn't Jake. It was a little girl with long blonde hair, and _no eyes_. The girls hands reached out and her mouth began to move, but Molly started running before the girl could speak. Tears stung her eyes and she frantically called out for Jake. Suddenly she was tumbling to the ground, having tripped over something large. She sat up to look at the object, and her mouth fell open in horror.

There was Jake, lying on the ground. It was so surreal; everything about him looked normal, except for his face. Molly shined her light onto it and let out a loud sob. There were bloody black holes where his eyes should be, and there were cuts all over his face and neck. He was dead, and Molly wasn't about to be next so she stood up and turned around. Molly turned and the last thing she saw was a pair of bright green eyes; and then her world went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Sunday Night

Sam sat at the little table next to the window of their motel room and typed away at his laptop. The sun had already set and the dim motel lights were all that illuminated the small space. Sam squinted a bit at the bright screen and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had been on the internet for about four hours now and it was giving him a major headache. Sam, as we all know, usually loves doing his research. This unfortunately was not one of those times. The brothers hadn't had a case to work on in about two weeks and Sam was about ready to climb the walls of this god forsaken room. The only thing keeping him sane at the moment was the familiar clicking of his keyboard and the soothing sound of running shower water. Dean had been taking a lot of those lately, as it seemed to calm his nerves. Dean was getting pretty sick of this place too, and if he didn't come with some sort of escape he'd probably go insane.

Just when Sam started to think there were no more monsters on the goddamn planet an article caught his eye.

Lockwood Legend Brought To Life?

A mysterious string of murders leaves citizens and police of this quiet community baffled.

Out of curiosity, and a bit of desperation, Sam clicked on the link and was transported to its website. Apparently at least seven people had been killed in Lockwood, New york in the past month. All were missing their eyes and had gashes all over their face and neck. Sam ran a hand through his hair and sighed. It might not be there kind of thing, but it was better than nothing. He kept reading and found another link that led him to the towns' legend. Sam read all about the Lockwood Girls, and suddenly (luckily) this really did seem like there kind of thing.

Sam heard the shower turn off, but he didn't look up from the screen. He wanted to know who the last victim was. To his surprise the most recent victim on the list was still alive.

"Molly Parker…" Sam said the name out loud and kept on reading.

"Who's Molly Parker?"

Sam glanced up quickly at Dean's voice. He hadn't heard the bathroom door open, but there Dean was, standing there with a towel hanging loosely around his waist and a quizzical look on his face. Water droplets ran down his toned chest and down to his stomach. Sam forced his eyes away. He made sure to keep his voice steady while he replied.

"I finally found a case we can work on. At least seven people have been killed in the last month, all were missing their eyes. Out of eight attacks Molly Parker was the only victim left alive, but she still had her eyes taken."

"Thank god dude, I can't take this room anymore. Feel like the walls are closing in…"

Dean gave an exaggerated shudder and proceeded with putting clothes on. Sam kept his eyes glued to his laptop screen and forced himself to at least pretend to read more information. Sam heard the towel fall to the floor and he could feel a blush creeping up behind his ears. He silently cursed himself and focused harder on the screen.

It was never like this you know; At least not this intense. Sam couldn't really remember when he first fell in love with his brother. He supposed he always loved Dean in some weird unhealthy way, but Sam didn't realize how much until he almost lost him. After the car accident with their father Sam saw Dean in a new light. Sam realized just how deep his feelings for Dean ran, and it terrified him. _As if I need another reason to be a freak_, Sam thought to himself. For the past month Sam had been doing his very best to put on a show and hide his feelings because he knew if Dean ever found out he would leave…right?

Suddenly Dean was beside him, reading over his shoulder. _Too close! _Sam thought as Dean leaned in even closer to read the small print on the screen. Sam could feel Deans breath near his ear and it took everything in him not to shudder.

"Sam, are you listening?"

"What?"

"Where's this place anyway, I don't see it on here."

Sam let out a breath and replied,

"It's somewhere in New York…" Sam clicked back to the front page and added,

"Lockwood, New York. Apparently the town was renamed in honor of these two kids who drowned there. And get this, one of the girls was missing her eyes..."

" Just like the other victims. So what, you think the ghosts of the kids are ganking people in town?"

Sam leaned back in his chair, "Seems like it. It looks like a simple haunting but it's better than nothing right?"

When Sam didn't get a reply he looked over only to see Dean packing everything he had into his duffle bag. He looked at the clock and smirked a bit. It was already 9pm and Dean was so eager to leave he was ready to drive seven hours without sleeping.

"Dean if we leave now we won't get there until like four in the morning."

"Don't care. Need to get out of here." He finished stuffing his bag and moved on to Sam's. Before Sam could even begin to protest Dean had both their bags packed and walked out the door.

It took Sam about three hours to fall asleep as Dean drove along the darkened road. He reached forward to turn the music down a few notches and glanced over to make sure his brother didn't wake up. There was no one else on the street tonight so Dean let his gaze linger for a bit longer. His sleeping face had always been Deans favorite. No worry lines or furrowed brow. No frowns or grumpy eye squinting. This face was calm and peaceful, of course unless a nightmare was involved, but in that case Dean would wake him up immediately. He chuckled quietly when he saw the way Sam was sprawled out on the passenger seat. His to-long-legs were bunched up in front of him, one arms was near the door while the other was above his head. His shirt was riding up a bit, showing the tanned skin of his stomach. Without really thinking Dean reached over and pulled the cloth down, covering the exposed area. Sam stirred in his sleep and Dean retracted quickly and put both hands on the wheel. He didn't really understand why he felt so guilty all of a sudden. He was just helping, right? Dean shrugged off the odd feeling and tried to keep his eyes glued to the road for the rest of the trip.


	4. Chapter 4

It's a strange feeling, knowing you're dreaming but not being able to wake up. Thats how Sam felt at the moment as he stood back in the hospital, standing over his brother. Sam looked at Dean laying there in the bed, broken and dying, and felt tears sting his eyes. He turned to leave, knowing it wasn't real, and ran out the door. Sam headed down the hallway towards the exit, or what _should_ have been the exit. Suddenly Sam looked around only to realize there were no doors in this building. He frantically searched each hallway for a door that could lead him out and away from that room. When Sam turned around again not only were the doors gone, but also the windows and the staff.

Sam put his back to the wall and crouched on the ground. He put his hands on his head and closed his eyes, willing himself to wake up.

"It's not real. It's not real. It's not..."

"_Sammy..._"

Sam shot his eyes open and looked around. The voice had been merely a whisper, and soon it was drowned out by more voices, each growing louder.

"You always were a freak. He's going to ditch as soon as he finds out."

"He's going to leave you. He's going to leave you!"

"Freak. You're going to lose him and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"_Sam._"

Sam curled himself into a ball and covered his ears trying to block out the chorus of voices. They kept repeating the same things. Freak. Queer. Monster. _He's going to leave you!_

"Sammy!" Sam jolted awake and swatted at the hands shaking him. He was back in the Impala with a wide eyed Dean beside him. They were parked on the side of the road. Dean must have stopped and walked around to the passengers side to wake him up. Sam could feel himself shaking and he could feel wetness on his cheeks. Dean sounded scared when he asked,

"Sammy what the hell happened to you in there?"

"Nothing, I don't want to talk about it."

Dean raised his eyebrows, "Seriously? Arent you the one always trying to get me to talk about my feelings?"

Sam just looked up at him. He looked into those beautiful green eyes and felt his stomach flop. He tried to make his voice sound more final.

"Dean I don't want to talk about it. Ok?"

Dean just sighed and backed away from the door. After closing it he moved back to the drivers side. Sam wiped away the tears on his cheeks before Dean got back in. He cleared his throat before asking,

"So how far away are we?"

"Bout two hours. Sammy, you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine."

They always friggin do that don't they? They lie to spare the others feelings. Dean knew he wasn't fine but didn't want to push. He let it go with a sigh and started up his baby. They drove the rest of the way in silence, each wondering what the other was thinking. If only they would just _ask_.


	5. Chapter 5

"Well it sure as hell looks haunted..." Dean muttered as they drove through the empty town. After a few wrong turns they ended up arriving later than planned, and the sun had just started to rise. There was thick fog enveloping the area and the new sunlight gave the place an eerie glow. The boys drove another five minutes until they reached a big blue house at the edge of town. The place had once been a home but had been converted into an Inn a long time ago.

Dean parked his baby and the brothers stepped out into the chilly air. The Inn was two floors high with chipped baby blue walls and white shutters. The porch was old and looked as if it could cave in any second. Poor gigantic Sam prayed he wouldn't fall right through the floor as the steps creaked and groaned underneath him as they walked up to the front door. Dean rapped on the heavy wooden door a couple of times and soon enough it was answered by a frail old woman. Her hair was silver and wrapped in a bun and her eyes were a nice jade color. She was thin and wrinkled but her eyes sparkled with life as she smiled at Sam and Dean. Her voice was soft and light, almost like a bell.

"Can I help you?"

Sam broke out the puppy eyes and first apologized for being so early, then asked if there were any available rooms. The woman smiled and answered cheerfully,

"Why yes, actually you came just in time. We have one room left."

She opened the door wider to let them in and led them down the hall to a little study room. The wallpaper was light blue with a yellow floral pattern, and the floors were hardwood. There were no windows in the room and the only light came from a table lamp on a desk that stood near the back of the cramped space. The woman, who introduced herself as Cecilia, walked behind the desk and sat down. She opened a large book in front of her and took down the Winchester's information. Of course it was mostly lies, after all who would believe the truth? They stuck with the usual FBI shtick, claiming to be agents Dean Copeland and Sam Portnoy, and flashed Cecilia their badges. The old woman's face lost its happy glow and turned somber, and her voice had a saddened tone.

"You're here about Miss Molly." It wasn't a question but Dean replied anyway.

"Yeah actually; you know her?"

"Oh yes dear. It's a small town after all so everybody knows everybody. I watched Molly and that Jake boy grow up. It's a shame what happened to them, and those other people."

"Cecilia would you happen to know where Ms. Parker is staying? We'd like to ask her some questions about the attack." Sam chimed in and Cecilia looked up at him with sad eyes. She explained that Molly had been admitted to a hospital a couple miles from town. Sam wrote down the address and Cecilia proceeded with checking them in. She was looking at her files with a troubled gaze and said something like "Oh dear..."

"Something wrong?" Dean asked and Cecilia looked up guiltily.

"It seems the only room left has only one bed. Is that a problem for you boys?"

Sam's heart skipped a beat and felt his throat clench. He tried to force his mouth to open so he could protest but nothing came out. Dean apparently didn't feel the same because he simply replied with,

"No that's not a problem, right Sammy?" Dean rested his hand on Sam's knee and it took everything in him not to jump. Cecilia's eyes widened a bit and a noticeable blush crept up onto her cheeks, giving them a rosy color. All she said was,

"Oh, I see." And continued to check them in. She then stood up and gestured for them to follow her. Dean released his grip on Sam's knee and walked out the door. Sam held back a second, trying to catch his breath, still feeling the heat from Deans hand. He followed the two out the door all the while thinking

_This can't be happening. I'm dead, I'm so friggin dead. Ok just relax it's not like you've never shared a bed before. You've done it a million times. The only difference is that this time..._

Sam's train of thought roared on all the way up the stairs and down the hall. Cecilia led them to the last room on the right and unlocked it. She opened the dark wooden door and stepped inside, gesturing for the boys to follow her. The room was small but charming with light blue curtains, white walls with little flowers, and a queen sized bed with a darker blue quilt. There were two large windows facing the forest, and on the opposite side of the space there was a full bathroom. The brothers set down their bags and checked it out.

"I'll leave you two to it then. Make yourselves at home, I'll be in the kitchen making dinner. Feel free to have some later ok?" She smiled as the boys thanked her and walked out, closing the door behind her.

Sam eyed the queen sized bed and gulped.

_Totally. Fucking. Screwed._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Hey guys first of all I want to thank you for reading this far, and thank you if you followed the story. It really means a lot to me that someone, anyone, might be enjoying what I write. Even if it's just one person, or in this case two ;) **

**Second of all I know it might seem slow but I really like stories where the guys just do normal stuff like eat, drive, unpack, whatever. Even if it's little things they deserve normalcy on occasion! I've kept you long enough and I'll leave you with the promise of more eventful, plot related, situations. **

Dean gave the room a once-over before walking to the left side of the bed and placing his duffle on it. Sam, following the suit, walked over to the right side and did the same. They unpacked in silence and whether it was awkward for Dean, Sam couldn't tell. All Sam knew was that his heart wasn't meant to beat this hard over something as trivial as sharing a bed. They had done it a thousand times when they were younger. It was always the same routine. They would start the night in their designated beds, Sammy would have a nightmare, and then he would crawl into bed with Dean. Dean would pull down the covers, let Sam in, then hold him and rub his back until he fell back asleep.

It was different when he slept with his brother. The nightmares seemed to dissipate and he always woke up feeling safe. Sam supposed that was when it started. When the _feelings_ started. Lost in thought Sam hadn't realized he wasn't unpacking anymore; just staring blankly into the faded blue quilt of the bed. Dean gave him a funny look and waved a hand in front of Sam's face.

"You awake over there?" Dean's voice broke Sam's train of thought. He shook his head slightly and gave Dean a half smile, trying to wipe the worried look of his big brothers face.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. Don't worry about it." Sam went back to unpacking the last of his things, but Dean's gaze remained on him. Sam could practically feel his eyes burrowing into his skull, trying to figure out what he was hiding. Without looking up Sam placed his empty bag under the bed and said in a firm voice,

"Quit staring Dean I'm fine."

Dean just rolled his eyes and replied with,

"Bullshit, but if you really don't want to tell me, then whatever. Just be ready to go soon."

"Dean we just got here, you've been awake all night maybe we should…" Sam trailed off as Dean walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Adorned in their usual FBI disguises the boys left the Impala in the parking lot and walked toward the entrance of the Hawthorn Institution. Sam had to scold Dean for calling it the "funny farm" at least three times on the way there. He thought it was kind of sad that some of these patient might have been put there for telling the truth. Molly had probably seen one or both of the girls and told the police about it, resulting in her transition from a real hospital to this sorry place.

The building was old and made of brick. There were at least six floors, the top four having barred windows. The area around the building seemed nice enough with lots of trees and grass and… who was he kidding. The place looked creepy as hell, especially because of the cold weather. The trees were bare, the grass was dead, and the freezing wind made an eerie groaning sound. The brothers walked into the dreary building and over to the front desk where a man sat typing. The guy was pretty cute with pitch black hair and striking hazel eyes. He heard the guys walk up and stopped typing, flashing a grin at them.

"Can I help you with something?" The guy asked politely and Dean answered in that low (sexy as hell) voice of his,

"I hope so… Dan," Dean paused to look at the guy's nametag, then into his eyes. He leaned forward slightly and, without breaking eye contact, said

"My partner and I were wondering if you could tell us where Molly Parker is staying. We just want to ask her a few questions." They both flashed the badges and Dan's seemed surprised. He sounded concerned and replied,

"Sure, we just admitted her. I think she's in room 507."

Dean flashed him a toothy grin and Sam noticed Dan's cheeks redden slightly. Sam gave his brother a look, which he seemed to be ignoring. He couldn't believe it. Dean was flirting! With a _guy_?! He bit back the urge to make a comment when Dan spoke up, his pitch slightly higher,

"I could show you the way if you like? It's no trouble really." Dean smiled and answered with,

"That's sweet but I think we got this covered. Thanks Dan" Dean winked at the guy then sauntered off down the hallway towards the elevators. Sam just stood there dumbfounded. He couldn't be serious. Dean, the guy who bangs chicks like they're going extinct, just flirted with a guy. _Right in front of him?!_

"You comin Sammy?" He heard Dean call him from the elevator. Scrounging up whatever sanity he had left Sam walked over to join his brother. The second Dean pushed the number five, and the doors closed, Sam exploded.

"What the hell was that?" Dean gave him a confused look and answered nonchalantly,

"What was what?" Sam chuckled, as if he didn't know exactly what he was talking about.

"You just flirted with that guy. Emphasis on _guy_. Is there something you haven't told me?" Sam tried to sound light hearted, like he was teasing, but he couldn't completely exclude the jealousy he felt from his voice. Dean whirled around to look at him, his face confused (Offended?) and replied,

"What? I did not!"

"Dude are you serious? You flashed him _that_ smile and then winked at him. How is that not flirting?"

"What smile?" Sam shrugged and struggled to find the right words.

"You know, _the_ smile. The one with all the teeth and dimples. The irresistible one that says 'let's bang'."

Dean seemed surprised then looked down as if thinking. All he said was a thoughtful,

"Huh…" Sam looked at his face and, to his surprise, saw him blushing. Dean was actually flustered, and Sam could only gape at him. Before he could question him further the elevator doors open and Dean bolted out, leaving a very confused Sam alone with his thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7

By the time Sam caught up to his brother he was already knocking on Molly's door. Someone on the other side said,

"Come in, it's not locked."

Dean turned the door handle and the boys entered the room only to find that Molly wasn't alone. An older woman sat at her bedside holding her hand. She couldn't have been older than forty, but the tired look in her eyes aged her greatly. Sam looked around the tiny, sterile, room. Nearly everything was white, from the walls to the bedding. The only exception was Molly's hospital clothing, which included a pale blue t-shirt and matching pants. As he looked at her now he realized there were bulky, white, bandages where her eyes should be.

Sam walked around the bed to speak with the woman.

"Sorry to interrupt, my partner and I just wanted to ask Ms. Parker some questions about her attack. Would that be alright?"

The woman's face pinched a bit and her answer was quick.

"My daughter has answered enough questions for the police. Why can't you give her a rest?"

Sam started to apologize, getting his puppy dog eyes prepared, but Molly beat him to it. Her voice sounded small, but firm, and she turned her face towards her mother and said,

"Its ok mom I want to help. I can rest later, ok?" Mrs. Parker looked dejected but reluctantly released her grip on her daughter's hand and walked out of the room. Sam flinched a bit as Mrs. Parker closed the door behind her a little harder than necessary. Sam took a seat next to the bed and Dean brought over a chair to sit next to him.

"Hi Molly, my name's Sam and this is my partner Dean."

Remembering she couldn't see Dean uttered a short "Hey" and Sam continued.

"So Molly how much do you actually remember about that night?"

Molly shifted uncomfortably in her bed and grimaced. Her voice dripped with fear as she replied.

"I remember enough. I remember _everything_."

She recanted the events of that night in frighteningly vivid detail, pausing here and there to take in a few shaky breaths to calm herself down. She was truly a brave person, and was able to tell them everything without breaking down.

"It was so surreal. I thought Jake was just playing a trick on me until I saw _her_. And I know what you'll say; it was just the stress, I was seeing things. You all think im schizophrenic or something like I'm just…"

"We believe you."

"Excuse me?"

Sam reached out and took Molly's hand and spoke with sincerity.

"I said, we believe you; and we're going to do whatever we can to stop this from happening again."

Molly let out a choked sob, but of course she couldn't cry. Not anymore. She clutched Sam's hand and muttered a thank you through shaky breaths. After rolling his eyes at Sammy's usual sappiness Dean cut in with a question.

"So you said the one with the bandages-"

"Echo." Molly corrected.

"- right. You said Echo only reached out to you, but didn't touch you. It was the other one that attacked you?"

"Now that I think about it, yeah. Echo just kind of walked towards me, she never actually _cut_ me…"

The brothers gave each other puzzled glances and decided simultaneously that this case just got a whole lot more complicated.

When the elevator doors closed Dean turned to Sam with a puzzled look on his face.

"What the hell dude? Why would only one ghost kid be going psycho?"

"I dunno Dean, she didn't hurt Molly but she still could've killed Jake. I just don't get why Molly's the only victim still breathing."

"You think they'll come back for her?"

The elevator dinged and its doors slid open, letting the brothers out. They stepped in unison and Sam turned his head towards Dean and answered with,

"No I think if they wanted her dead, she would be."

"So it's definitely just about the eyes…"

As they passed the lobby Sam noticed Dean stiffen beside him, and remember what happened earlier. When they passed the front desk Dan noticeably sat up straighter in his chair and flashed a smile as they walked out.

"It was really nice meeting you guys, hope I see you again sometime, maybe under better circumstances."

The end sounded a bit like a question but Dean didn't seem to notice. He just nodded and gave a weak smile. Sam noticed him make a strange sound under his breath and bit back laughter. Could it be possible Dean really didn't notice he flirted with that guy? Dean broke their uniformity by speeding up as they neared the exit. He broke out of there like a bat out of hell and didn't stop till he reached the safety of his baby.


	8. Chapter 8

Dean tried to avoid any awkward conversations Sam could start by blasting his Metallica tape at an earsplitting volume. He _so_ did not want to talk about that little "incident" back at the hospital. Dean couldn't believe he let his guard down like that, flat out flirting with that guy right in front of Sam! A blush deepened on his already pink cheeks and Dean gripped the steering wheel tighter, knuckles white with frustration and humiliation.

The Impala sped down the road at a startling pace and Sam was glad he remembered to wear a seatbelt as he gripped the armrest beside him for dear life. It was strange to see Dean rattled over something so trivial. It was like he thought Sam would be ashamed of him or something. If anything Sam was _glad_ Dean was bi. It meant he was one step closer to being with Dean in a not-so-brotherly way.

_Maybe if Dean could like guys, he could like me? _

Sam shook his head and looked out the window. Just because Dean liked guys it didn't mean he could like Sam in that way. Besides it's not like Sam could just _ask_ him. He could practically see the exchange now,

_Hey Dean I love you._

_Uh, ok love you too Sammy…?_

_No Dean I'm IN love with you, and I want us to be together._

Then Dean would pull out his pistol and shoot Sam for being, not only a total freak, but an _incestuous _total freak. It would be too much for Dean to handle, and Sam was sure he would either end up dead or abandoned/disowned if he said anything about his feelings.

Sam tried to focus on looking out the window, but the fast moving car was making his head spin. That plus the added stress of wondering what Dean would think of him made his stomach knot up. He could practically feel his skin paling by the second. Turning towards Dean he asked,

"Dean, can you slow down?" Because of the deafening music Dean couldn't hear him. Sam debated turning the sound down himself but decided he wanted to keep his hand intact. Sam tried to say it louder.

"Dean please slow down I think I'm gonna…" Sam paused feeling a lurch in his stomach. Luckily Dean looked over, hearing the second cry for help, and felt his own stomach churn at the thought of someone puking in his precious baby. He immediately slowed down and pulled over, exiting the driver's side and heading over to Sam who was already out of the vehicle, doubled over and dry heaving. They had both skipped breakfast that morning, so luckily nothing came out. When the nausea subsided Sam stood and leaned back against the Impala, breathing in the cool New York air. Dean walked over and put a hand on his little brother's shoulder.

"You ok Sammy? You never get carsick…" Without hesitating Dean placed the back of his hand on Sam's forehead, then on his neck, checking for a fever. Sam flinched a bit at his touch so Dean pulled back his hand, replacing it with a hard expression.

"Ok that tears it. I'm done." Dean reached over to slam the passenger side door shut, locking them both outside. Sam flinched again and the loud impact and felt a new wave of nausea. Dean got in front of Sam, making sure he couldn't run away to avoid talking this time.

"Ok I didn't want to be an ass about it but you haven't been the same around me since dad died."

Sam looked up at him, eyes widening with fear. He felt like a deer in headlights, terrified but stuck all at the same time; and although Sam was taller than Dean physically, he began to feel very, very small. He'd made it too obvious. Dean was going to find out how he felt and who knows what would happen then? Sam tried to act oblivious.

"What? Yes I have."

Dean just rolled his eyes and snipped back at him.

"No you haven't, and now you're gonna tell me why."

"Dean I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

Dean turned away slightly, running a hand through his hair in agitation. He was trying his best not to just reach out and shake his annoying little brother. It wasn't fair that Sam was always trying to play Dr. Phil with him, but as soon as the tables were turned he got all defensive and shut down. Dean looked Sam in the eyes again, ready to pull out all the stops.

"Ok then why do you act so weird around me? Ever since dad died you flinch every time I touch you. No, now that I think about it, every time I come _near_ you. Jesus Sam what did I do?"

"Nothing Dean, you didn't do anything; and of course Dad's death affected me! Not to mention the Yellow Eyed bastard is still out there…"

"But what does that have to do with _me_? You only get twitchy around _me_, and I wanna know why."

Sam shifted uncomfortably, searching desperately for an escape route out of this nightmare. It was all falling apart; he should have been more careful. Dean reached out a hand slowly, testing his theory while Sam was distracted. He noticed Sam stiffen and practically shouted,

"See! You do that every time I get near you. Sammy what did I do to make you so afraid of me? What, do you blame me for dad dying or something?"

Sam swore he heard Dean's voice crack, and immediately felt guilty. It wasn't that he was afraid of Dean, and he never blamed him for their dad's death. It was just too hard to control his emotions when Dean got close. Sam couldn't even keep track of all the nights he almost kissed Dean by accident after drinking too much. Luckily in his drunken stupor Dean hadn't noticed…

"Dean, can we not do this now? I'm not afraid of you, I never have been, and I would never blame you for what happened to dad! Look, I promise I'll tell you what's going on, I just…-"

_Snap_

Both hunters turned their gaze towards the woods, both hearing the sound of a twig breaking. Dean peered carefully into the trees but couldn't see anything suspicious. He vaguely wondered if it could have been an animal, but instinct told him otherwise. As if reading his thoughts Sam whispered,

"It's not an animal. Listen." Dean did as he said, listening to their surroundings. Nothing. The forest was silent, as if all forms of life had vanished. Dean felt a chill go up his spine, but blamed it on the chilly air. Both brothers stiffened as a new sound radiated from the eerie abandoned forest. Somebody was crying, and calling for help. It sounded just like a child, but of course the hunters knew better. Instead of barreling into the woods like a couple of amateurs they put their previous argument aside and grabbed their weapons from the Impala's fully stocked trunk. Just before they entered the forest Dean turned back to look at Sam.

"This aint over Sammy. Soon as this is over you're gonna tell me what's going on." Without waiting for a reply Dean jogged into the forest, leaving Sam with ice in his veins as he followed his older brother into the woods.


	9. Chapter 9

Damp leaves and twigs squished and crunched underneath Sam's feet as he jogged after his brother. The crying grew louder as they ran, obviously leading them into some sort of trap. Sam vaguely wondered if this was how they lured any of the previous victims. Suddenly Dean stopped running and started looking all around, listening for something. Now it seemed as though the crying was all around them; coming from no particular direction. She had them right where she wanted them. Now all they had to do was wait. As suddenly as it started, the crying stopped, and there was nothing but silence.

The brothers stood back to back, each taking charge of a direction. Dean glanced to the right, and when he glance back to the left there was a little blonde girl standing in front of him. Her bright blue dress was soaked with water, as was her hair, and her big jade eyes were wide with fear. To the untrained eye she would look like a normal little girl, but our boy's new better. Dean lifted up his shotgun, ready to fire, but the little girl began to speak.

"Have you seen my sister's eyes?" Neither hunter answered, and waited to see what she would do. The ghost girl simply took a small step forward, looked Dean in the eye, and said,

"Will you help me find them?" As Elle got closer Sam noticed something off about her. Whenever she got closer, her face changed slightly. Her eyes sunk in more, and her skin tightened and paled. Carefully, Dean replied this time.

"Yeah we'll help you find-!" Before he could finish Elle sprung at him, eyes bright with rage. Her nails had elongated into claws and Sam barely had enough time to blast her away with rock-salt before she scratched Dean's face off. After making sure she was really gone Sam lowered his shotgun.

"Ok so Elle's the one killing people-"Sam started,

"But where's the other one?" Dean finished, looking all around for the other twin. As if waiting to be remembered, Echo appeared before them, soaked to the bone (ectoplasm?) just like her sister. Her eyes were replaced with black holes and streaks of blood ran down her pale cheeks. Sam held up his shotgun as Echo outstretched her arms. She seemed to be reaching for them, but didn't make a move to attack. Sam remember what Molly had said about her.

_`"So you said the one without eyes-"_

"_Echo." Molly corrected._

"_- right. You said Echo only reached out to you, but didn't touch you. It was the other one that attacked you?"_

"_Now that I think about it, yeah. Echo just kind of walked towards me, she never actually cut me…"_

Out of the corner of his eye Dean noticed Sam lower his gun and whispered harshly.

"Sam what the hell are you doing?"

Sam just ignored him and placed the shotgun on the ground. He then started walking towards Echo, hands up in surrender, which seemed pretty foolish considering she probably couldn't see him anyway. Dean held his shotgun steady; ready to blast the little bitch away if she tried to hurt his little brother. He could feel his heart pounding with every step Sam took towards the ghost. When Sam reached her he knelt down and asked,

"Do you have something to tell me?" Although she couldn't see, Echo turned her head towards Sam and nodded. She started to twitch in and out of reality and her hands fell to her sides again. She began repeating the same word a couple times.

"See see see see see see." She said as if she were a broken record. Sam tried to snap her out of it by asking,

"You're upset because you can't see?"

She shook her head and that seemed to break the cycle. When she stopped fizzing in and out of reality she added in a hushed tone,

"Can't leave. Can't leave without Elle. Can't leave without my eyes. She took them. Mum and Dad will be mad." Suddenly Echo started to convulse and fizz in and out of reality again. Fresh bloody tears dripped from the frightened girls face, and she turned towards something the boys couldn't see. She looked up and screamed; then she faded out completely, leaving the hunters alone in the woods.

They both decided to haul ass out of there before Elle decided to make another appearance. When they reached the safety of the Impala each brother went to their respective seats to catch their breath. Dean was the first to speak.

"How friggin weird was that? Seriously why is only one of them crazy? They've been dead the same amount of time."

"I dunno Dean, maybe it was the way they died? Maybe it has to do with their personality?"

Dean started the car and added,

"Whatever. What I do know is we gotta find out where their buried so we can gank their creepy asses."

By the time the boys reached the Inn it was already twelve in the afternoon, and their stomachs had become furious with them. Dean parked his baby and the brothers walked up the creaky wooden steps back into the old blue house. They didn't bother knocking this time, seeing as they were already checked in, and when they opened the door they were hit with a wall of delicious smells. Sam's stomach growled angrily as the scent of food waded through the house.

Cecelia, upon hearing the front door open and close, walked out of the kitchen to greet whomever it was. She smiled when she saw the boys.

"Back already? Did you get to speak with Molly?" Before either of them could answer another growl escaped Dean's stomach. He could feel heat rise into his cheeks but before he could say another word Cecelia frowned and said,

"You boys must be starving! Didn't you eat anything today?"

They both answered no and Cecelia put a hand on her hip, looking at them with disapproval. She spoke in a motherly tone.

"Well we can't have that. You boys are in luck, I just finished making chicken soup. It's supposed to be for dinner but I don't think you boys should wait."

Resisting would have been useless had they tried, so they followed Cecelia into the kitchen and sat across from each other at the long wooden table at the center of the room. The kitchen was fairly large, and seemed to serve as a dining room as well. Cecelia brought them each a steaming bowl of home-made soup and they each muttered an awkward thank you. It was a little strange to be treated like this. So "taken care of". I mean, it's not like they had a mom of their own to make chicken soup for them. Well, at least Sam hadn't. Dean faintly remembered Mary bringing him soup like this when he got sick with a cold. He stared at the bowl intently, remembering better days and wishing Sam had been old enough to remember them too.

The brothers dug in as Cecelia sat at the head of the table and asked,

"So you boys spoke with Miss Molly?"

Sam, ever polite as always, paused to answer her.

"Yeah, she was pretty shaken up but I think she'll be alright. She seems like a strong kid."

Cecelia looked down and had a soft bittersweet smile on her face.

"Ah yes. Molly is a strong one, never afraid to let others know what's on her mind."

Cecelia paused to take a sip of her tea before continuing.

"That's what got her in trouble though. She shouldn't have told the police about the girls. Of course they wouldn't understand."

Dean nearly choked on his food after hearing that last comment. After clearing his throat he asked,

"You know about the girls?"

Cecelia looked at him with a sadness in her eyes. "Of course I do. They are my nieces after all."


	10. Chapter 10

"Echo and Elle Lockwood were your nieces?" Sam asked. Cecelia looked up at him with somber eyes and nodded.

"They were such sweet girls. It's a shame they aren't at rest."

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. So this lady had known about the spirits the whole time, and had done nothing to stop them? Trying not to sound judgmental he asked,

"If you know they're aren't at rest why haven't you tried to, ya know, send them off?"

Cecelia sighed and folded her hands around her tea cup. She stared down at it and answered.

"Oh I tried, but they won't go without Echo's eyes."

Sam replied this time with,

"What do you mean?"

"It's a vicious cycle really. Elle won't leave until she finds her sisters eyes, and Echo won't leave without her sister." Cecelia paused to chuckle slightly, "I would never have pegged a couple of FBI agents to believe in the supernatural. It's a nice change. We've got a lot of skeptics in our town."

"Yeah, you could say we're interested in stuff like that. Would you mind telling us more about your nieces? If they're the ones hurting people we'd like to help you put them to rest." Sam watched as Cecelia looked up at him, and something gleamed in her eyes.

"You really believe me, don't you. You would do that for me?" Both brothers nodded in agreement. At least they didn't have to hide their true intentions now. It's not like Cecelia didn't know about what's hiding in the dark. Maybe now they could get some real information, right from the source no less. Cecelia began to tell them the history of her family, and the Inn.

Apparently Cecelia lived here with her sister's family before they turned it into an Inn. The family consisted of Cecelia, her sister Rosie and her husband Paul, and the twins. Since they lived so close to the woods the girls like to play there often; but they always came home before dark.

"That's how we knew something was wrong. They always came back just as the sun began to set."

All three of them searched the forest for hours before calling the police, assuming the girls had simply gotten themselves lost. When they couldn't find them the police combed the woods for days, and searched elsewhere in case they had been kidnapped. All the family could do was wait.

"Rosie was beside herself, always crying and wailing. Paul on the other hand just shut down completely. I had to be strong for both of them until we got the news…"

A simple knock on the door changed their lives forever. They were told that Echo and Elle had fallen into the river and drowned; but not before someone attacked Echo. Someone had surgically removed her eyes, and that sent poor Rosie over the edge.

"The doctors said it was an aneurism of some sort, but I know the truth. My poor sister died of a broken heart, and Paul couldn't live with himself after that."

After the loss of his family Paul left the house to Cecelia and killed himself. In such a small town they hardly ever see tragedy's like this so they changed the name of the town from Rowenwood to Lockwood in the family's honor. A couple years later Cecelia turned the old blue house into the Lockwood Inn.

"I just couldn't stand to be alone anymore after losing my family. This place is all I have now."

Sam sat back in his chair, taking in everything he just heard. It was so awful. Yes he had lost Jess, and that was terrible, but he couldn't imagine what it must have been like to lose your kids like that. The look on Dean's face suggested he was thinking the same thing. Sam spoke up first and said,

"I can't imagine what that must have been like; I'm really sorry for your loss."

Cecelia gave him a weak smile and reached over to give Sam's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you sweetie, but it was a long time ago. I think I made it out ok."

"My brother and I will do whatever we can to put those girls to rest. Can you tell us where they're buried?"

"Sorry boys, Rosie wanted the girls cremated. She couldn't stand to put her babies in the ground."

Well that made things about ten times more complicated. Now they would have to find the object(s) that were keeping the girls from moving on. Sam gently squeezed Cecelia's hand back and told her,

"That's ok, we'll figure something out. Anyway we should get back to work, thank you for the food."

Sam got up from his chair and gave Dean a look. Dean got up and thanked Cecelia, then followed Sam out of the room. When they reached the stairs, out of earshot, Sam turned to face Dean and said in a hushed voice,

"You didn't buy any of that crap did you?"


End file.
